What We Don't Know Will Costs Us! Optimzing Tio2 Performance in Coated Board formulations Using Knowledge From the Paint Chemist, 1997 Coating Conference Proceedings

TiO2 extension in coated paper has been a goal of papermakers and suppliers for some time. Most of the current technologies have been based on replacing Ti02 with a pigment that would mimic TiO2 in terms of scattering efficiency. In coatings where 10% of the pigment blend is Ti02 this is the best approach, however in coatings where the level of Ti02 is 30-50% of the coating the introduction of a pigment that enhances the performance of the TiO2 allows for a significant reduction in Ti02 usage without changing the overall binder demand of the coating. This paper presents theory and data that demonstrate strategies utilized in paint technology are useful in coatings that contain high amounts of Ti02 and binder as would be seen in board coatings. Laboratory studies and pilot coater work will be presented that demonstrate the efficacy of such an approach. These results demonstrate that as much as 50% of the titanium can be successfully removed from the coating without a loss in properties.